Leo Kearse: Edinburgh Fringe 2017 interview

As a Conservative comedian, Leo Kearse is definitely among the minority at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. But that’s not put him off writing a show for those people “sick of sanctimonious lefties lecturing you about global warming, Jeremy Corbyn and sexism”.

Hello. How are you today?

I’ve got a cold! It’s about 25 degrees and I’ve got a cold. I’ve been squirting that Vicks First Defence stuff up my nose – it creates a caustic environment that helps kill off the viruses – and the pain is intense.

At this stage, how closely does your programme blurb match the content of your show?

My show, “I Can Make You Tory”, was named before the snap election was announced – according to the polls everyone’s Tory anyway! Except on Facebook, where everyone is a staunch Corbyn supporter and Tories are evil. So far my show seems to focus on slating liberals more than making anyone Tory. But liberals are such cunts these days, it’s hard not to.

Have the momentous events of 2016 affected your act in any way?

Brexit – when Britain got drunk and accidentally unfriended Europe on Facebook – takes up a chunk of my show. Trump also gets a mention. I think I’m the only comedian who’s a Trump fan. I agree with a lot of what he says – for example, I agree with him that I would also like to have sex with his daughter. I’ve got a theory that Trump got elected because people were sick of the sanctimonious superior hectoring liberals that are so perfectly exemplified by Hillary Clinton.

Who are you sharing a flat with this festival and how will you help each other survive the month?

I’m not even sure. I just know that two of them are American and I’ve got a double room. I’ve got three shows – my solo show, “I Can Make You Tory”; an improvised show I run with Darius Davies, “Hate ‘n’ Live”; and “AAA Late” at the Pleasance, so I’ll just be going to my flat to sleep, masturbate and inject myself with B vitamins.

Other than the great shows, what else are you looking forward to about your trip to Edinburgh this year?

I love the fact that almost everyone I know is crammed into this tiny Scottish village* and I’m gigging all day and all night. It’s a myth that it’s a big piss-up for comedians – it’s more like a military operation because we have to work so hard and stay in shape to do all the gigs.

What celebrity death hit you the hardest in 2016 (mine was Wogan)?

David Gest as he was a close friend and mentor.

Here’s a space to write about anything you want. Go for it.

Here are some facts** about comedy: Puns are rubbish (I was UK Pun Champion 2015). The comedians who carry on like they’re the nicest most caring people are always the biggest cunts, and the comedians who seem like cunts are always the most generous, kind, good hearted people. UK comedy is terrible compared to the US. Most of the best US comedians would never make it off the club circuit in the UK. The UK comedy industry is fixated on youth and sexual unattractiveness. A tiny minority of hyper liberals dictates the parameters of acceptability in comedy. Comedians who sneer at the club circuit are invariably far too shit to ever do well in a club.